Claude Lefèbvre

Claude Lefèbvre (12 September 1632 (baptised) - 25 April 1675) was a French painter and engraver.

Lefèbvre was born at Fontainebleau, the son of the painter Jean Lefèbvre (1600–1675), and became a member of the workshop of Claude d'Hoey (1585–1660) at Fontainebleau. In 1654 he studied with Eustache Le Sueur in Paris, and after Le Sueur's death in 1655, with Charles Le Brun. Under Le Brun he probably assisted in the preparation of cartoons (untraced) for the tapestry series History of the King (Château of Versailles) and painted a Nativity (untraced) for Louis XIV, but Le Brun found Lefèbvre's compositions poor and encouraged him to specialize in portraiture.

Lefèbvre soon established himself as a leading portrait artist, and in 1663, at the age of thirty, he was received (reçu) as a member of the Académie Royale de peinture et de sculpture in anticipation of his portrait of Jean-Baptiste Colbert (Château of Versailles). Lefèbvre spent several years creating the portrait and finally presented it on 30 October 1666. He was an assistant professor at the Académie beginning in 1664. Among his students were François de Troy and Jean Cotelle, le jeune.

Lefebvre visited England, where he appears to have been influenced by the work of Anthony van Dyck. In London he was invited to paint at the court of King Charles II of England. His work is included in major collections such as the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Louvre.

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